Panama president wanted to wiretap rivals - WikiLeaks

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Panama president wanted to wiretap rivals - WikiLeaks
37 mins ago

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli tried to bully the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to turn its wiretapping program on political rivals, a State Department cable released by WikiLeaks said.

Martinelli, a supermarket tycoon elected last year, sent a "cryptic" message to the U.S. ambassador in Panama which said, "I need help with tapping phones," according to the cable from August 2009 published by Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"He made reference to various groups and individuals whom he believes should be wiretapped, and he clearly made no distinction between legitimate security targets and political enemies," the cable written by then Ambassador Barbara Stephenson said.

When the ambassador refused, Martinelli complained she was being "too legal" and made an implicit threat to stop helping the U.S. government with anti-narcotics operations in Panama if he could not get help with wiretaps, the cable said.

Read more: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20101225/tpl-uk-wikileaks-panama-43a8d4f.html

[JackRiddler]

1. At last, the Holy Grail!

A cable (not yet released at Wikileaks.ch or Dazzlepod, by the way) that actually makes the US Embassy look good!

[Peace Patriot]

2. We gotta watch out for the cable-writer making ass-covering statements or having...

...other agendas. These are low security communiques, so any savvy diplomat would know how easily the cable could be leaked. It could have been deliberately written for a wider audience. It's also good to know who actually wrote it (a foreign service scribbler, with the ambassador or other emissary just signing off on it--maybe not paying that much attention), who the ambassador is (what's his/her history), if possible whose eyes the cable is intended for and--most important--the CONTEXT of the cable--recent history of the country and of U.S. policy.

In this case, I have some suspicions. A rightwing political compadre of Martinelli--Alvaro Uribe, the former president and Bush Cartel operative in Colombia--is being investigated in a BIG scandal about Uribe's illegal domestic spying in Colombia. Recently, the main witness against Uribe in the spying scandal was whisked out of Colombia and given weird, overnight asylum by Martinelli IN PANAMA--out of the reach of Colombian prosecutors and over their objections. Six other witnesses in that case are asking for similar asylum. The extraordinary asylum that Uribe's spy chief was granted has caused Martineilli serious political trouble, domestically and regionally. He basically spit on the Colombian justice system. In fact, it was so risky for Martinelli that I immediately suspected that the CIA was pressuring him to do it.

If my hypothesis about the new CIA Director Leon Panetta is correct--Panetta is a Daddy Bush pal; member of his Iraq Study Group--that one of his jobs is to clean up after Junior, and if, indeed, Panetta pressured Martinelli to grant this unusual asylum to the main Uribe spying witness, then what he may be doing is covering up Bush involvement in the illegal spying in Colombia. (The spying in Colombia may be connected to the death squads targeting trade unionists and other Uribe political opponents). Uribe was also involved in pressuring Martinelli to give asylum to the witnesses against him.

Uribe has been given protection and coddling by the U.S.--academic sinecures at Georgetown and Harvard, and a prestigious appointment to an international legal commission. He leaves a trail of bloody crimes behind him, all the way back to when he was governor of Antioquia (in Medellin, Colombia). Some 70 of his closest political associates, including family members, are under investigation or already in jail for their ties to the rightwing death squads and drug trafficking, spying, bribery and other crimes. In one death squad case against Alabama-based Drummond Coal, filed here, by relatives of Drummond Coal's death squad victims, they tried to depose Uribe; he was a no-show and has asked Hillary Clinton for "sovereign immunity." Do not be surprised if she grants it. I think Uribe knows things about Bush Junta war crimes in Colombia and he is being protected/coddled in order to keep him quiet about it.

Just for instance: Clinton recently "fined" Blackwater for "unauthorized" "trainings" of "foreign persons" (don't know who) IN COLOMBIA "for use in Iraq and Afghanistan." (I suspect that the word "unauthorized" is a falsehood--part of a coverup.) Is this why the main witness against Uribe in the spying scandal got asylum in Panama? The U.S. can't afford to have him under pressure from Colombian prosecutors? (The U.S. has also whisked many death squad witnesses out of Colombia--against prosecutors' objections--Uribe colluding with the U.S. ambassador to Colombia to get this done. These witnesses were extradited on mere drug charges, and were "buried" in the U.S. federal prison system, by the complete sealing of their cases (an unusual procedure) in the U.S. federal court in Washington DC. Their cases have disappeared so completely that there aren't even case numbers for them. Victims' families have objected that they might even have been freed.)

One other thing: I think it is unlikely that a U.S. ambassador would put this allegation against Martinielli in a cable--unless there was an ulterior motive for it. The motive could be something like this: The ambassador got wind of someone planning to disclose her conversation with Martinelli and she wanted it in writing that she scoffed at this request. Or, the U.S. is doing extensive spying in Panama and surrounding countries (Venezuela comes to mind) and wanted a statement in writing that the U.S. scoffs at spying for political purposes. Or, the ambassador was aware of U.S. complicity in Uribe's domestic spying, and, again, was creating a paper trail of deniability.

[JackRiddler]

3. Very, very interesting...

I don't feel sufficiently equipped to draw conclusions. It sounds plausible as a story, especially a diplomat's desire to have the ass-coverage ready, to be able to say she rejected this plan if it comes out.

[Peace Patriot]

7. Amb. Stephenson was a Bushwhack appointee & served Junior on Iraq...

Barbara J. Stephenson is the former United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and was appointed by President George W. Bush in the Spring of 2008.<1>

Stephenson is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, and has previously served as Deputy Coordinator for Iraq at the U.S. State Department. She received her Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. in English all from the University of Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_J._Stephenson

----------------

I don't know much about Stephenson but she's sure got three strikes against her, just in the bare bones of her bio.

Here's a criticism of Stephenson from ex-pat Don Winner living in Panama, which fits perfectly with my guess that she is covering her ass in this cable. It doesn't prove anything, but it sure fits, profile-wise.

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20100416192842240

It's interesting, indeed, that the first thing my Google search turned up were these hints from Winner that she disliked/was suspicious of the ex-pat community, was not open-handed, may have requested a legal opinion to cover her ass on not throwing parties for the ex-pat community, and is a careerist, a "climber" and a "cold fish."

And here's her idea of what a tropical paradise should look like (the occasion was her hosting of the US. Chamber of Commerce in Panama):

"I mean, the most spectacular thing that greets you is that on the way in from the airport you see almost Hong Kong rise up out of the Pacific Ocean there. I mean, the growth in shiny high rises is the most visible indication of the change that’s happened in Panama." --Amb. Stephenson

http://www.zimbio.com/William+Eaton+-+Department+of+State/articles/6/Ambassador+Panama+Barbara+J+Stephenson+Panama

Panama is a U.S. client state, with a government vetted, approved and installed by the U.S. to keep U.S. control over the Canal, to repress trade unions and other social justice advocates, and to act as a base of operations for spying and dirty ops against Panama's leftist neighbors, most notably its immediate adjacent neighbor Nicaragua--where the Sandanistas were elected and are allied with the many other leftist governments in Latin America--the real democracies--including U.S. prime target, Venezuela. Nicaragua, Venezuela and other countries with leftist governments are directly challenging U.S. "free trade for the rich" in the Caribbean, of which Panama is a key U.S. partner. The leftist governments have formed an alternative trade group, ALBA. Stephenson was ambassador to Panama during the U.S.-supported rightwing coup d'etat in Honduras. Panama is one of only four governments in the southern hemisphere which supports Honduras' illegitimate fascist government. A key issue in that coup was President Zelaya raising the minimum wage (against the wishes of U.S. multinational sweatshop operators in Honduras) and joining ALBA. Panama is also part of the U.S. "war on drugs" "axis of evil"--Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia--where the corrupt, murderous, failed U.S. "war on drugs" has been used to install the U.S. military in the region as the enforcer of "free trade for the rich."

Ambassador Stephenson was on board for--and likely an important player in--these and other very destructive U.S. policies in the region. I don't know how her cable on Martinelli's request for spying help against his political enemies exactly fits into this picture, except that I think that U.S. ambassador William Brownfield (Bushwhack appointee to Colombia) was likely helping Alvaro Uribe spy on his political enemies (ncluding trade unionists who were murdered); Martinelli likely knew about it (he's pals with Uribe) and expected the same perk as a U.S. client. I really don't know if Stephenson was "out of the loop" on this (Uribe spying), or knew about it. But, either way, Martinelli putting his request in writing likely made it a "hot potato" (could easily get leaked) requiring Stephenson to produce a "deniability" document. Also, she VERY LIKELY played a role in Panama giving asylum to the chief spying witness against Uribe.

Now she's going to the UK as ambassador, where the Bush Junta is also vulnerable on war crimes. She may be a Bush Cartel "fixer" like Brownfield. I don't know enough about her to say that she is, or is just a "careerist" who does what she's told.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Panama's president denies he asked US for phone taps

Panama's president denies he asked US for phone taps
By Associated Press
8:50 p.m. EST, December 25, 2010

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli denied Saturday that he asked the United States to help install phone taps on his political opponents, but acknowledged a request for help against criminals and organized crime figures.

A leaked U.S. diplomatic cable from Aug. 22, 2009 quotes then-U.S. ambassador Barbara Stephenson as saying the newly elected conservative president asked for help with wiretaps soon after he took office on July 1.

One of Martinelli's top officials later told a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration official the taps would be aimed at possible attempts by leftist governments in the region to interfere in Panamanian politics, and people targeted by anti-corruption or anti-drug campaigns.

The memo published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais said Stephenson thought Martinelli was not making a distinction between legitimate security targets and political opponents.

More:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-lt-wikileaks-panama-phone-taps,0,7458979.story

[Joanne98]

5. Panama president wanted to wiretap rivals: WikiLeaks

Source: Reuters

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli tried to bully the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to turn its wiretapping program on political rivals, a State Department cable released by WikiLeaks said.

Martinelli, a supermarket tycoon elected last year, sent a "cryptic" message to the U.S. ambassador in Panama which said, "I need help with tapping phones," according to the cable from August 2009 published by Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"He made reference to various groups and individuals whom he believes should be wiretapped, and he clearly made no distinction between legitimate security targets and political enemies," the cable written by then Ambassador Barbara Stephenson said.

When the ambassador refused, Martinelli complained she was being "too legal" and made an implicit threat to stop helping the U.S. government with anti-narcotics operations in Panama if he could not get help with wiretaps, the cable said.



Read more: http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE6BO12G20101225

[dipsydoodle]

6. More details here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12079794

[struggle4progress]

8. Panama president denies alleged phone tap request

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hSkHFLMWkv_lLI06VEfdlmUaLYHA?docId=09f7154900424a40aa88574896474525

[Judi Lynn]

9. Panama row reveals US drug agency's power

Panama row reveals US drug agency's power
By Stephen Foley in New York
Monday, 27 December 2010

Diplomatic cables published by the website WikiLeaks have plunged the United States into a diplomatic row with Panama over the secret intelligence-gathering work of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the Central American country.

Panama's President, Ricardo Martinelli, denied the claim made in one of the cables that he asked American diplomats to provide him with access to the DEA's extensive wiretapping program so he could spy on his political opponents. The cables also paint a vivid picture of the DEA's large and expanding operations across the world as the US wars on drugs and terrorism have merged, and as the agency has developed a secret service-like role working with governments that have traditionally been hostile to other US organisations such as the CIA.

The DEA has expanded to 87 offices in 63 countries, and the most potentially explosive of the latest diplomatic leaks relate to its work in Panama under the presidency of Mr Martinelli, a supermarket magnate who came to power in elections last year.

In a diplomatic cable in August 2009, the then-US ambassador to Panama, Barbara Stephenson, is quoted saying the newly elected conservative President asked for DEA help with wiretaps. "He clearly made no distinction between legitimate security targets and political enemies," the cable states, adding that Ms Stephenson said "we will not be party to any effort to expand wiretaps to domestic political targets". According to the cable, the ambassador thought Mr Martinelli was making an implicit threat to cut back on anti-drug cooperation if he did not get US help with the wiretaps – though he backed off on his request when she countered that she would "readily inform Washington and we would all see Panama's reputation as a reliable partner plummet dramatically".

More:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/panama-row-reveals-us-drug-agencys-power-2169875.html